REVIEWS

Early Responses to The Art of Enchantment…

M.A. Clarke Scott’s The Art of Enchantment starts at a low simmer but rises to a body-searing burn as Clio and Guillermo find themselves pushed together repeatedly by both fate and the desire to save Guillermo’s family villa. Clio, however, must also cope with her own family legacy, one of academic excellence. Satisfying her dominating parents seems to be an uphill battle, however. And to complicate the situation, Guillermo mistakes her intense desire to meet with her thesis adviser as evidence of a deep love of scholarship.

Clarke Scott delivers fine, white-hot love scenes along with the opportunity to pick up some random Italian swear words that are fun to say, like stronzo! Aside from sex and swearing, Clarke Scott uses archetypes to woo her audience: the destructive rock star, the sexy, bold Italian, the shy, studious American attempting to please her parents. And these archetypes work well in this story, giving readers much of what they come looking for in romantic fiction.

M.A. Clarke Scott is an artist with words…

A well-paced escape for those hungering for art, history and a hot ride with a handsome Italian hero.

Awesome characters…. A masterpiece, this is! Loved it, loved it.

Excitement, pure delight, and an emotional adventure await the reader in this thrilling contemporary romance, The Art of Enchantment by MA Clarke Scott. Clio wants only one thing: to complete her PhD program, hence fulfilling one of her father’s greatest wishes for her. But then Guillermo, the hot and charming Italian architect, happens. Two powerful souls with a great and refined appreciation for beauty and art and history! They are from two different backgrounds, irrevocably drawn towards each other. Things get even more complicated when Guillermo’s ancestral home risks being sold to an American pop star who may not value the historic significance of such an investment. Can Clio pursue the exciting romance, help Guillermo save his home, and still succeed in getting her PhD?

The Art of Enchantment is exciting and I enjoyed the themes of art, romance, history, and family and how they are masterfully written into the engaging plot. Clio and Guillermo are interesting characters. While Clio is shy and composed, Guillermo is boisterous and outgoing, two opposite personalities that perfectly complement each other. The prose is equally exciting, composed of descriptions that are absorbing, and great dialogues that read like natural conversations. It is wonderful to note how the characters evolve throughout the story. The external conflict is evidently developed throughout the story, but the one that arrested my attention was the internal one taking place within the minds of the characters. It was fun watching Clio faced with multiple dilemmas. MA Clarke Scott has become my new master of the romance. Can’t recommend this one enough.

Want to read a book where the plot crafted in a way that has a grip on your heart, tears in your throat and laughter on your lips? Then this is the book for you. Who doesn’t love romance, art history, and family? The plots twists and tension kept me reading well into the night. The Author M A Clarke Scott gives the reader a run for their money. And if you love Italian then you are in high heaven. Unfortunately I don’t speak . . . I can’t translate Italian – so some of the phrases were lost to me. Makes me want to learn the language. The passion, literally and figuratively, in this book [have to read it to understand that statement best] is well written. Doesn’t hurt a bit that strong realistic characters fill this novel from beginning to end. 5 stars on GR & LT

Tanya, Goodreads & Library Thing Reviewer

Smart and Spicy – a modern love story in gorgeous Italy

The heroine, Clio, is a smart woman. She’s working on her Phd in Italy when her car goes off the road and she is rescued by a passionate Italian man. There are sparks between them, but also vastly different approaches to life. Clio is a serious, buttoned up scholar, who has wrapped her own passion up in ideas and theories. Her sizzling lover is a playboy, never settling down, never risking too much. Clarke Scott brings Italy to life in vivid and glorious detail so that I feel as if I’ve walked through the villa and trailed my fingers over the flowers in the garden. She has also told a modern, evocative and intelligent love story about opening up, taking risks and what falling in love can do to transform a life. Bravo. Loved it!

I really thought going into this book that it was going to be your typical chic lit book but I was pleasantly surprised! I really loved this book. The characters were well rounded and developed through out the book nicely. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work. 5.0 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story with beautifully described geography. Mary Ann takes you on a journey of love and art. Her love of architecture shines through. Well-worth the read! Cleo is a heroine for our time! 4 stars on Amazon

Amazon Reviewer Hollyberri61

Interesting and emotional…

I found the journey somewhat tempestuous and the beginning definitely drew me in. Clio is a good girl. Guillermo is a bad boy. The story could easily be boring and trite, but it’s not. It’s lovely. The cast of characters was wider than the average romance. It was definitely an ensemble cast. I enjoyed it.

The Art of Enchantment is an enchanting tale of how a woman’s quest to please one man, results in a passion-fueled journey to love found in the arms of another man…

American born Clio is uptight, responsible, and desperate to earn her PHD to please her father, and get him off her back. Italian playboy Guillermo is passionate, independent, sexy as hell, and he would love to get Clio on her back, if only she would let him.

What starts with Guillermo rescuing Clio after she’s involved in a car accident, ends with them rescuing each other’s hearts from a complicated web of individual agendas, family obligation, and self-deception. Along the way they salvage a historic villa’s future, a man’s reputation, and a family’s legacy. But most importantly, they learn to let go, and fall in love. Four stars on Amazon.

Amazon Reviewer deb

About Reconcilable Differences…

Good romance… What a wonderful, sweet romance. Kate’s history is so real, you’ll be able to feel her happiness and her pain. Simon is so sweet and patient. I’ll not tell you more, just grab this book and enjoy!

Clarke Scott manages to give us a modern day career woman who is talented, capable and strong, yet allows her to explore the wounds of her past and all the emotions and insecurity that these bring up. It’s wonderful to watch this heroine blossom as she pushes herself to confront the skeletons in the closet in order to grow and heal a little more, and move closer to the love that she deserves.

There are 2 story lines here, and I enjoyed both. The main character is a mediator, focused on helping couples reconcile when they are on the verge of divorce. Her clients relationship mirrors and contrasts with her own struggles and she is forced to face her past.

There’s real heavy content and themes in here, such as: rape recovery, suppressed memories, panic attacks, and anxiety. But this is not a story about trauma and violence, it’s a story about healing and empowerment. Somehow, we get to ride along on this harrowing journey without getting too beat up along the way. I think the key here is that our gal is not lost and waiting for rescue. She’s done the work of counselling and rebuilding on her own and with her friend. She’s made a life for herself, it’s just a protected life that she’s now outgrown.

Watching her struggle free of her safety net is wonderful and inspiring. I’m glad to see an author willing to take on deeper issues and explore the complexities of love and attachment. I think so many readers like me are sick of seeing female protagonists who are a) the victim or b) the perfect Barbie. We’re ready for characters with mixed emotions and experiences.

I also love the distinctions that Clarke Scott makes between healthy love and dependency. The difference is your own love of yourself, your sense of worth, and so many romance novels gloss right over that. Loving the same man, once with the old you and once with the new you… that’s a powerful story!

This is a highly engaging story about a mediator who finds herself unwittingly – and unwillingly – working alongside an ex-lover as she tries to help a young married couple avoid divorce. The character’s are interesting, and the scenes and emotions are so well-described I found myself hyperventilating along with the main character at times! Women’s fiction at its best. Glad to see this is the first book in a series! (I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review).

Fate has a way of showing up unexpectedly for individuals to give them a second chance at having the HEA they’ve desired for so long.

One such person happens to Kate O’Day, who once had a beautiful HEA relationship with her college day’s lover, Simon Sharpe, which ended fifteen years ago when he thought Rachel was the woman he should marry and not Kate. But you know the way college kids are when they’re in love; especially the ones in romance novels. They’re usually rushing into things, especially when marriage is concerned. Naturally, Simon is not only separated from Rachel, he’s got their daughter who has to take care of without the influence of a mother around.

Kate didn’t let this traumatic incident in her life stop her moving on with her life, while still carrying the memories and baggage from her time with Simon. Instead, she found solace in putting all her efforts as a successful divorce mediator. In this capacity she rejoiced, knowing she might be the one who’s saving other couples’ HEA by getting them to realize that if they’re willing to iron out their differences, they’ll be able to save theirs.

Everything is fine regarding the divorce case she’s currently handling, that is until a change in the attorneys involved, and Simon shows up to complicate matters.

How can Kate proceed with this case, with all the memories she once had with Simon, and all the thoughts of what her life might be like now if she’d been able to marry him so many years, clouding her mind? Is there a spark still existing which might be able to rekindle the relationship they once had with each other? Can Kate hide all the emotions she’s feeling so they don’t interfere with what she needs to do to mediate this case so it doesn’t end in a divorce? M. A. Clarke Scott has a marvelous job in making her story feel real that her readers can’t help but feel the emotions the female protagonist is feeling. The only problem I’ve got concerning the storyline is that in real life, both Simon and Kate should have excused themselves from being involved in this divorce case, given the emotional ties they’ve got for each other. But since this story is a romantic fictional novel, I’ll overlook this matter, because if it wasn’t for this faux pas, there would have been no story for us to read. So for having given her readers a second chance HEA, I’m giving this book 5 STARS.